Hydraulic elevator



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. T. POX.

HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR.

No. 369,703. Patented Sept. 13', 1887.

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(No Model.)

W. T. POX.

HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR.

. Patented Sept. 13, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

WILLIAM T. FOX, OF ROCHESTER, NE? YORK.

HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 369,703, dated. September 13:, 1887.

Application filed January 25, 1887. Serial No. 225,458. (No model.)

To aZZ ZU7L077L it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM T. Fox, of Roch ester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvernentsin HydraulicElevators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to certain improvements in hydraulic elevators designed especially for raising loads varying in weight, and particularly to the elevator shown in Letters Patent No. 355,159, granted me December 28, 1886, although equally applicable to others of the same general class. (3

The invention consists, generally, in an int proved attachment or auxiliary device for the purpose of increasing the power of the elevator when a load of extraordinary weight is to hernoved by applying, by improved mechanism, an extra pressure of water to the same piston that normally actuates the car, not necessarily, however, upon the same piston-face. Heretofore some of these auxiliary devices have been constructed of independent pistons of varying surface areas adapted to be oper-' ated in succession to raise the car, beginning with the one having the smallest area and increasing in size as the load increases; but the principal objection to these constructions is that the body of water operating in the first cylinder has to be bodily moved by the second cylinder, and these both by'the third, and so on; but my invention is designed to obviate the difficulties noted and others by means of the apparatus now about to be described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top plan view of an elevator constructed in accordance with the patent before referred to; Fig. 2, a sectional view showing the construction of the main cylinder and the valve for cooperating therewith, showing the operation of the device, and in dotted lines showing the application of my present inven tion thereto. Fig. 3 is asectional view showing the main cylinder and piston with my present invention applied thereto, and also the supplemental valve for cooperating with the improved form of cylinder and piston. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a portion of the supplemental valve. 7

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

A represents the main hydraulic cylinder; B, the frame or bed-plate of the machine; 0 and D, the sheaves about which the rope or cable of the elevator passes.

E is the valve-casing,within which isplaccd the sliding valve F, arranged to be operated for the purpose of filling or discharging the cylinder A by means of the rack c, pinion b, and shifting-rope pulley G, to which the shifting-ropes of the elevator are attached.

(Z is the inlet-pipe through which water enters the apparatus, 0 the overflow-pipe from the main cylinder, and f the inlet or exhaust pipe for the inner or secondary cylinder.

The sheaves O and D are supported the one on the main cylinder and the other on suit able guides, so as to slide thereon as is usual.

Within the main cylinder is the secondary cylinder H, provided at its inner end with an annular piston, 2', provided with suitable packing, so as to fit the cylinder, and secured at its outer end to the shafton which the sheaves revolve. \Vithin the inner cylinder is placed the piston I, supported from the (-ylinderhead J of the main cylinder by the hollow pistonrod 0. The inner end of the cylinder H is closed by a plate, It, forming a head and provided with suitable packing around the rod 0, and is further provided with an outwardlyopening valve, r, as shown.

On the head of the cylinder A is'formed a chamber, t, connecting with the piston-rod 0, and also by a suitable passage, f, with a portion of the valve-casing, as will be described.

E represents the main casing of the valve apparatus, having the aperture d, communicating with the main water-supply, the aperture o,commu11icating with the main cylinder A, behind the piston 7c, and thc exit-passage f, as shown. The forward end of the chamber is connected by means of passages d and a; with the rear end of the cylindrical part of the main casing, and a check-valve, h, is interposed therein, as shown, and between the forward end of the casing and the check-valve is connected a pipe, e, long and curved, commu- TOC nicating with the sewer for waste water. lhe passage f communicates with the passage 00 between the check-valve and its point of connection with the main cylinder. Operating within the cylinder of the valve is a rod, F, provided with the pistons zz z 2 the two former located together and at the forward end and the latter at the rear end, as shown, and the rod is adapted to be moved from the shifter-wheel G by the rack-and-pinion connection.

From the above general description and a reference to the patent referred to, the operation of the device will be understood.

Water is admitted to the main cylinder through pipe 1;, communicating between the valve-casing E and the cylinder or head J by a manipulation of the valve F. \Vhen the water is admitted through the pipe 12, and it is desired to utilize the pressure of the water on the whole of the piston i, for the purpose of raising a heavy load, the water which remains in the secondary cylinder H from the previous operation of the machine is discharged through the pipe :0 and the outlet-pipe f. At this time the full power of the machine is developed, as the water acts by its pressure on the whole area of the piston z. When, on the contrary, it is desired to lift a light load, for which a reduced quantity of water is required, the escape of the water from the secondary cylinder through the hollow piston 0,chamher t, and pipe w is prevented, and the water under pressure, being admitted through the pipeo into the main cylinder A, causes the piston z and secondary cylinder H to move to ward the right hand in Fig. 2, and, as the piston inside the secondary cylinder is rigidly connected with the cylinder-head J by the hollow piston-rod 0, so that it cannot travel with the secondary cylinder, the water remaining in the latter is forced to escape through the valve 1* into the main cylinder, thereby diminishing, by the volume of the secondary cylinder, the amount of water required to fill the main cylinder and rendering the pressure of the water on the piston t effective only on the annular ring outside of the interior of cylinder H will escape through the outwardly-opening valve 1* into the main cylinder A, the exit from H being closed by valve a failing to uncover the passage between 00 andf; but if a heavy load is to be raised the valve is moved to the extreme left, and the water in the inner cylinder is allowed to find its exit through the passages f, as, and f to the sewer.

When the elevator is descending, the valverod F is moved to the extreme right, the supply from o is cut off, and the water previously in front of the main piston i is allowed, when the piston moves back, to pass through the passages 12 a d, check-valve h, passage f, and rod 0 to the inner cylinder, H, to pass into the main cylinder and be then utilized when a-' light load is to be again lifted. A small portion of the water escapes, however, during this operation through pipe c to the sewer or other discharge.

For the balanceof the minute details and description of the operation of the device reference is made to the before-mentioned patent.

In Figs. 3 and 4 is shown my present invention, consisting in devices by which increased lifting power is obtained when desired. The construction of the main cylinder, inner cylinder, and pistons is the same as thatshown in the patent and Figs. 1 and 2 herein, except that the left-hand end of the inner cylinder is closed and provision is made for admitting water to the space between said end and the end of the stationary piston by suitable means. A convenient means for carrying out this portion of my invention I have shown in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings, in which the sliding pipe 1 is connected to the outer end of the inner cylinder beyond the piston, and through this water is admitted, the times of its admission and the quantity being regulated by a valve, Z, shown in section in said figure and adapted to be operated by an additional shifting-rope which turns the pinion n so as to shift the valve. A tube or chamber, 2, is arranged parallel with the main cylinder, in which the tube 1 reciprocates, a suitable stuffing-box, 3, being provided at the forward end to prevent the escape of fluid. When fluid is admitted through the tubes 1 and 2 it will ex ert a pressure upon the stationary piston-head I, and cause the inner cylinder to move outward and the consequent upward movement of the elevator.

The valve Z consists, preferably, of a cylindrical casing provided with three orifices, one, 3, near one end communicating with the water-supply, another, 4, with the tube or cylinder 2 by means of a suitable conduit, 5, and still another, 6, communicating with a place of deposit of waste water, as a sewer. Within this casing is located the valve-rod Z, provided with the three pistons 6, 7, and 8, the two former provided with the grooves in their periphery, as shown in Fig. 4, so as to permit of the passage by them of the water when they are not in contact with the valve-seats 9 and 10, and the latter, 8, serving to balance the pressure on the valve 7, the end of the casing being provided with a suitable drip-pipe,'as shown. In its normal position the valve 7 is against the valve-seat 9, the outlet 6 is open, and the pipes l 2 5 and the valve-casing serve as an outlet for the waste or leakage from the main cylinder H through the outlet 6. When, however, for any reason it is desired to apply extra lifting-power to the elevator, the operator moves the extra hand-rope connected with the wheel y, operating through the pinion on the same shaft and a rack in the valverod, and opens the valve 7, (the valve 6 being closed by the same movement,) and water is admitted to the cylinder H between the piston I and the cylinder-head. This water acts directly upon the piston in addition to that in the main cylinder, the whole face ofwhich may be utilized as well by the manipulation of the valve F, to cause the water in the inner cylinder to be drawn off into the sewer.

By means of this invention it will be seen a large auxiliary force is at hand in case of an emergency that does not in the least interfere with the proper operation of the elevator under ordinary circumstances.

An inwardly-opening valve, is applied to the head of the inner cylinder in order .to prevent the formation of a vacuum in the cylinder when the ordinary valve is employed for running the elevator, or in case the outletpipe 6 should become stopped up or trapped, preventing the ingress of air.

It will be readily understood that instead of the devices herein described for admitting pressure between the stationary piston and the movable piston-head any other suitable apparatus could be employedas,for instance, an ordinary rubber hose and stopcock; but the devices illustrated herein are deemed very convenient and simple.

While I have described my improvement with reference to theelevator shown in my patent referred to, I do not desire to confineit to that; nor do I wish to be confined to the details of construction employed, as others the equivalents of those might be employed.

I claim as my invention 1. In a hydraulic elevator, the combination of the main cylinder, the inner movable cylinder having the heads at each end, the stationary piston mounted therein,the hollow piston-rod, passages connecting the main cylinder with the interior of the inner cylinder, and a passage controlled by a valve for admitting fluid between the stationary piston and the end of the inner cylinder not acted upon by the fluid in the main cylinder.

2. The combination of the main cylinder, the inner cylinder constituting a piston having the valve therein, the stationary piston in the inner cylinder, passages controlled by suitable valves for connecting the main cylinder with the inside of the inner cylinder, a passage connecting the inside of the inner cylinder with a fluid-supply on the side of the piston not operated upon by the fluid in the main cylinder, and valve devices for controlling said passage, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the main cylinder, the inner movable cylinder constituting a piston operating therein, a stationary piston located within said inner cylinder, passages controlled by suitable valve devices for admitting fluid to the end of the 'main piston, and independent passages located outside both cylinders for admitting fluid to the inner cylinder between its outer head and the stationary piston, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the main cylinder, the inner movable cylinder constituting a piston operating therein, a stationary piston having a hollow piston-rod located within the inner cylinder, the head of the cylinder having suitable packing around the piston-rod,

whereby the whole surface of the piston-head thus-formed is made available, passages controlled by suitable valve devices for admitting pressure to the end of the main piston, and other passages controlled by other suitable valve devices for admitting pressure to the inner cylinder between the outer end and the stationary piston head, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the outer cylinder, the inner cylinder constituting a piston operating therein, and passages controlled by suitable valve devices for admitting fluid to said piston, of a stationary piston located within the cylinder, the tube connected with the inner cylinder beyond the piston, the chamber in which said tube reciprocates, and suitable valve devices for admitting fluid to said chamber, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the outer cylinder, the inner cylinder constituting a piston operating therein, and passages controlled by suitable valve devices for admitting fluid to said piston, of a stationary piston located within the cylinder, a passage controlled by suitable valve devices for admitting fluid to said inner cylinder between the outer head thereof and the piston, and an inwardly-opening valve located in the end of the movable cylinder, whereby the formation of a vacuum is prevented when the cylinder is moved backward, substantially as described.

WILLIAM T. FOX.

'Witnesses:

GEO. B. SELDEN, H. G. PHILLIPS. 

